Starsong
by LLizD
Summary: Jacob ran away from all of his problems, but where did he run to? And what fate meets him when he arrives? Usual pairings plus JxOC *PLEASE REVIEW*
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is my first attempt at a twilight fanfiction, so try to bear with me. Please don't turn away easily on this one. I'm a stickler for a thorough exposition, so the drama probably won't happen until chapter 3 or 4. It focuses mainly on Jacob and a few original characters (No Mary Sues, promise!) but all of the Cullens come into play. Basically, this is what happens after Jacob runs away. The first chapter is mainly Bree's backstory, and no this isn't the Bree that made the cameo in Eclipse. Please R&R!

Also PLEASE NOTE! My father decided to drop my keyboard so at times certain keys stick... usually the S key. Please excuse some mispellings.

Disclaimer- I am not claiming to own anything having to do with Stephanie Meyer or the Twilight franchise.

Starsong

Chapter one

_Green. Never in all of my years, albeit few, have I seen so much green. Nature embraces me, kissing me with her sunny rays, concealing me within her mists. The Grass and leaves glisten as though billions of miniscule stars shine from within. So alien, yet I feel at home._

"Bree? Bree!" The voice called me back to reality. Dr. Ellershaw stared at me, discarding the syringe in her hand, "I'm done giving Windy her shot; you can let go now."

I clenched my toes inside my Keds and sheepishly released the brown tabby cat. He looked at me and purred, rubbing her head underneath my palm.

Dr. Ellershaw sighed, "I don't know how you do it, but animals really do love you" Her face dropped to a sterner look, "But if you don't stop your daydreaming you'll never survive vet school.

I nodded scratching Windy behind her ear. I didn't mean to daydream, but my mind would sometimes show me things without permission. Charlotte, my adoptive mother, always said to not suppress them for it could be my subconscious telling me giving me memories of my life before I was given up for adoption. Charlotte has that romantic way about her, always thinking that there is a reason for everything. She'd be an evangelical if she actually were Christian. Thankfully, both Charlotte and her husband James have a more unorthodox way of looking at the world. And while I may want to learn more about my past, those daydreams usually got me into trouble like when I'm in class… or working at Rehoboth Veterinary Practices.

I know very little of my biological past. All I did know was that I was originally from Ireland, in Dundalk, and that Charlotte and James adopted me when I was five or so. Charlotte always wanted to be a mother, but nature cursed her with infertility. She and James tried many times, also looking to adopt but they all fell through. To get away, James took Charlotte to Ireland to look at the many sites and many pubs. I was in the county orphanage when I escaped to chase after this stray puppy. I caught up with the puppy and was playing with him in the street when Charlotte and James happened upon me. Charlotte said it was fate that brought us together, and that she instantly fell in love with me: the very tiny girl with dark red hair and blue green eyes. They extended their stay in Ireland to finalize the adoption and took me home to Maryland.

Fifteen years later, I was enjoying the summer before my freshman year at UMBC. My friends and I decided to spend it at Rehoboth Beach. So I along with my friend Nory, my other friend Zach, sometimes Zach's boyfriend Eric, and my cat Fred, of course, got a house together by the beach.

I came back to the shorehouse after work at Dr. Ellershaw's and dropped my keys onto the coffee table. I was greeted with a broken chorus of hellos and I greeted them back. I walked back into my room where Fred was laying on my bed.

I sighed, kicking off my shoes and stripping out of my scrubs. Getting a whiff of myself, I decided a shower would be wise.

"I stink, Fred." I guess I should go shower, huh?" Fred rolled onto his back a stretched, letting out a small meow. I took that as a yes and went to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later I re-entered my room feeling a lot more refreshed. I wondered where Fred went to before I saw the top of his fuzzy grey head resting on my pillow, the rest of his body snuggled under my blanket. I giggled and walked to my dresser, throwing on underwear and a tank top. I didn't really care to find jeans just yet considering the only eyes that would be looking at my bare legs that moment were Fred's. Not only was he a cat, he was also asleep. I sat on my bed and pulled up my laptop. Opening my emails, I looked for anything to catch my eye. Something did, in the form of "Visit Alaska!" A chain email sent out from a travel site I belonged to. Curious, I clicked it open and gaped at the beautiful scenery gazing back at me. Luscious forests full of wildlife, strong noble mountains, glistening glaciers. It looked like… like…

_Billions of miniscule stars shining from within._


	2. Chapter 2

Starsong

disclaimer- I don't not claim to be Stephanie Meyer or at all affiliated with the Twilight franchise.

a/n- Reviews are lovely

Chapter 2

I couldn't keep my eye away from the screen. So much beauty and I felt it calling to me. I always felt trapped by cities, which was ironic given the fact that I was going to college in Baltimore. Nature embraced me in a way a mother would embrace her child…. Protect it, nurture it. A very specific occasion came to mind when I yelled at a group of kids trying to start a forest fire when I was in the 4th grade. It ended with me getting pushed to the ground and scraping my knees, but no fires were started and I told their moms. It was all worth it knowing that all 4 boys were grounded and had to buy me water ice to apologize. Karma.

A few minutes… hours… honestly I lost count, later my door swung open to Nory holding up a comic book in anguish.

"Breebear! Look at this!" She threw the comic book onto my bed, waking up a now ornery Fred the Cat. I leaned over to grab the comic book, seeing it was an issue of New X-Men: Academy X, a storyline in the x-men universe. I flipped through the issue quickly and looked up at my friend with a questioning view.

"They copied my life." Nory said as though it were the most obvious assumption one could make. My eyebrow shot up and I blinked a few times. "No seriously. There's a character named Wallflower and she controls pheremones. She can control what people feel, dude!" I nodded, following her speech patterns but not her connection, "I am the exact same way…"

"…Or you're likable and slightly manipulative?" I said with a hint of a smirk. Nory knew I was joking and took back the comic book.

"I take offense to that." We both knew that she didn't. "Besides, I… you're not wearing pants." She finally realized.

I looked down at my bare legs and shrugged, "I shaved." I said with a shrug. Nory laughed walking around the bed to sit next to me. Fred got upset at the invasion of his territory and jumped off, perching on top of my dresser.

"What are you looking at anyway? Porn?" Nory joked, peering at the screen. "Ooh, that's pretty." She said as she saw the pictures ahead of her. I looked at Nory, a serious expression on my face.

"I'm going."

"Sure… I'll go too… we can plan for spring break or something…" She began to plan, like she always did when new adventures are ahead of us.

"No. I'm going tomorrow." Nory looked at me now with probably the exact same expression I gave her during the X-Men rant. I shrugged, "I can't explain it. I just know this is what I need to do. I swear it's like it's calling to me or something."

"Yes, Bree, but that's a pop-up add saying that you just won a free IPhone." Nory tried to talk sense into me, but I shook my head, adamant.

"This is out of a dream… or a memory… I don't know, but this is where I need to be. I'm suffocating here, and I think that's where I belong."

Nory sighed, trying to think of a logical way to word her reasoning, "Okay Breebear, not even touching upon the fact that you wear jackets in seventy degree weather and would therefore become a breesicle if you do in fact move to Alaska, how can this be a memory? You are from Ireland, which is over here." She pointed her right hand to the right side of my room, "Alaska is over there." Her left hand pointed in the opposite direction. "You're good at finding you way around random places… but you're not THAT good."

I nodded; she did have a point after all, "Well, I can invest in an excellent parka, and I… can you just go with me on this one? I feel like I can help there, and they need students to study wildlife conservation!"

"Oh, we can get a baby polar bear!"

"We?"

"You honestly think I'm letting you do this alone?" Nory crossed her arms. "I'd like a change of scenery, I mean, I've been on the east coast my entire life. Besides, I'm sun burnt and therefore sick of the sun."

"Nory, the sun is everywhere." I pointed out.

"Um, have you not seen 30 Days of Night?"

"Point, but I hope you aren't expecting to find Ben Foster."

"A girl can dream but it's not my main M.O." I laughed a bit, shaking my head.

"Let's do this." I grinned, finally feeling as though I would be doing something with my life. Nory smiled, but raised a hand.

"You know we're road tripping this, right? WallE could make it there and he'd be handy to have.' WallE was the name of Nory's Jeep Wrangler. He reminded us of the quirky Disney/Pixar robot, and had gotten us out of many a jam.

"So… I'm going to have to spend all of my life's savings in order to get us to Alaska?"

"Un truthiness!" She declared, "Zach, our lovely boy, let his straight show a few days ago and made WallE a biodiesel engine."

"Aww, now he really is saving the planet!" I cheered. Fred looked up, giving us both a look of confusion. "And Fred is coming too." Nory nodded as though we have just decided to go into battle. I got up and slipped on a pair of jeans. "It's decided then, we leave tomorrow morning. This is probably a good time to break it to the boys and tell parental units."

Thankfully, Charlotte is a very natural human being. She said that if I felt that this was something I needed to do, she couldn't be happier for me. James was slightly concerned and told me all of the safe routes to go and that he wired some money into my account. At that moment, I couldn't have been happier to all them mine. They loved me like I was their own and truly wanted me happy. I told them I loved them and hung up the phone, preparing for the anger I was about to go through.

I called UMBC to withdraw from the semester. Roughly an hour and a half later, I was contemplating suicide… no, homicide towards the many different departments they connected me to. Seriously, has no one withdrawn from college before? Finally they said all paperwork was in order just in time for me to hang up my phone and throw it against the wall. Zach walked in and paused, looking a little scared.

"What did the phone do to you?" He asked, approaching me and giving me a hug. I returned the hug, still glaring at the phone, somehow still intact.

"I had to deal with the bursar's office…" Zach hugged me tighter.

"Oh you poor thing!" He said, "You want a stiff drink or something?" I laughed and shook my head.

"No, but I do have to talk to you." I replied. We walked over to my bed and sat on the end. "Has Nory told you anything?" Zach shook his head, curious. "I'm leaving… tomorrow… for Alaska." His eyes widened into the size of saucers as he gave me an incredulous look. "I know, it sounds insane… but trust me baby, it's something I need to do. I don't know how long I'll be gone… or even if I'll come back." Every word was getting more and more difficult to say to my best friend, as he sat there. "You can come and visit. It looks so beautiful up there and there are mountains so you can go skiing." I offered, knowing that he and his family went to the Poconos every winter. Zach was a bit of a skiing fiend.

"The trails better be kickass." He finally said with a hint of a smirk. I let out a sigh of relief and gave him the biggest hug I could achieve at that point in time.

"Some of the best in the world." I said into his shoulder, trying to hold back my tears. Feeling moisture on my ear made me realize that he was crying as well.

"I'll miss you love." He whispered, and I lost it. We sat there for hours, crying and reminiscing. We spoke of our plans to get married and date other people, to adopt a bunch of kids and teach them foreign languages and how to tap dance, and then grow old yet still look incredible until we run away and join a band of gypsies where he will give sage advice and I would tell people's fortunes with the same pack of tarot cards that we found together at a flea market in Philly.

Before we knew it, it became nighttime and I knew I should pack. Zach helped, not caring about the night out he was missing with Eric, saying that his own friends are far cooler than his boyfriend's. I realized that I really didn't have that many possessions, and therefore packing wasn't that hard. Soon enough my belongings were all in my Tinkerbell suitcases and Zach was standing there unsure of what to do.

"We're on the same carrier so calling and texting is free… and I better hear from you at least once a day." I said to him. He scoffed,

"Um, duh! Unless I meet up with Daniel Radcliffe… then all bets are off."

"Baby, if you met up with Daniel Radcliffe I would be completely alright with not seeing you again… I'd be ungodly jealous but that's another story."

We drug my bags out to WallE, where Nory was already sitting, her bags in the back. I chucked up my own, laughing at the contrast of light purple Tinkerbell bags and black suitcases with random stickers all over them. The sun was rising and WallE was ready to go. I knew Nory filled up the tank because she was munching on a McDonald's hash brown. I gave Zach one last hug and kiss goodbye and jumped in. Nory said her goodbyes and soon enough we were off to the insane adventure ahead of us.

_Run, run, run. Don't look back. Run faster and you won't feel the pain. Hungry, tired… no, keep going. Faster, faster, faster… STOP. Take a look around, no one in sight. Hunger takes over… hunt. Look the way you came. Double thoughts? __**No**__. Jesus, Jacob, no one wants you. Keep going._


	3. Chapter 3

a/n- sorry this took so long. My classes have been taking over my soul, and I myself have been heartbroken that Kherrington got voted off of So You Think You Can Dance. This is the last of the exposition chapters, soon all of the drama will begin. Please read and review!

Starsong

Chapter 3

After driving a full day of driving, Nory and I decided to rest in Chicago overnight. The lights of the city were beautiful; either that or I was a lot more tired than I thought I was. After driving upwards of twelve hours, one tends to get a little dazed.

I walked into the motel room we rented for the night, and Nory was sitting on her bed with the laptop sitting in front of her. Walking over, I asked to check my email considering I was waiting to hear back from the conservation society.

"Wait," she said, "You mean to tell me you aren't sure yet where in Alaska we're going?" Nory raised an eyebrow at me, "Bree, for all you know we could end up at the North Pole!"

I tried to calm her down, saying that the chances of that were highly unlikely. I opened my email and surely enough there was an inbox message from the conservation society. "Welcome to Alaska… blah blah blah…" I read aloud, scrolling through it, "We have stationed you in the city of Gustavus." I paused, looking up with a smile, "Located in southeastern Alaska, right on Glacier Bay National Park." I read the rest in my head, basically telling me about what I would be doing, and that they looked forward to meeting me.

Sighing as I shut down the computer, I laid back on the bed, and broke Fred free from his camouflaged kitty carrier.

"That's a relief." Nory said, "I didn't want to have to ship you out of an ice block every morning."

"Why must you always point out the fact that I will freeze? I'm not that bad!" I said, pulling a blanket over my body.

Nory gave me a look, "Bree, this room is 68 degrees."

"There's a draft!" I defended myself, focusing my attention on Fred. I snuggled up with him, suddenly feeling very much at ease in this alien city. Nory stretched and turned off the lights, knowing we had another long day ahead of us tomorrow.

**The moon was high in the sky as I let the rays bathe me. I stripped off my shirt and laid in the grass, for once letting myself calm in the middle of these foreign woods. Where was I? North somewhere… Canada? Probably. Stretching my limbs, I felt my mind begin to wander. Running free, no boundaries, Bella… shit. No, get over her. She didn't choose you. She chose that… creature. Get away. Far away from Forks, LaPush, the pack. They didn't need me. **

After another day and a half of driving, I came to the conclusion that I hate driving. The freedom of the open road before you in enthralling, yes, but the knowledge that you are on a journey and it could roughly take eight years to get to your destination is enough to make one turn to heavy drugs. I looked over to Nory sleeping in the passenger seat and Fred the Cat sleeping in his kitty carrier. Sleep. If only. A much as I enjoy my cat naps, I tended to have unusual sleep patterns when it came to different times of the day.

I let my mind wander as I drove the deserted road. A daydream came to me, and I was thankful that the road was straight and desolate as I let the vision overtake my mind.

_I was alone yet not; the mists cocooning me within their protection. Someone called out my name. A warm gentle voice and I giggled in response. The voice called again, beckoning me to join it. Looking around, I saw nothing near me yet the voice continued. Fly. My own thought took me by surprise. Fly. Now I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I couldn't fly; I'm only… fly... Fly… _

"Bree!" Nory screamed and I jerked back to reality in time to swerve the car from driving off the side of the road. I let out a squeak of surprise as I righted myself, and sighed in relief after the moment had passed. Nory glared at me, "I was in the middle of the greatest dream involved me and a 10 things I hate about you era Heath Ledger."

"Yo… necrophilia." I replied, trying not to giggle. She got a disdained look on her face.

"He's not allowed to be dead; we were supposed to get married." She sighed.

"Let's change the subject, shall we?" I suggested, knowing we'd soon get into an awkward discussion about the life and death of Heath Ledger which would result in me putting on the Ben Harper album that we would listen to and cry. No crying should be allowed while driving to Alaska.

"Where are we?" Nory asked, pulling out a map from the glove compartment. She unfolded the paper and gazed through it. "Canada."

"Well that's kind of broad." I responded with a glance over to her. Nory shrugged, further looking at the likes of the map. "We're in Alberta… close to British Columbia." She let out a thoughtful sound, "If my calculations are correct, if we keep driving we should get there by tomorrow night." I almost let out a squeal of joy.

"Thank God, I'm getting so antsy." I said with a sigh. Nory nodded in agreement.

"Good thing you barely sleep." She noted, a major reason as to why I was okay with driving through the night. I nodded in agreement, not caring enough to note the fact that I do sleep; I just am a serial cat napper.

It wasn't long before Nory fell back asleep, and I continued to drive along the country road. Every now and then I would look up to the stars through the non existent roof on the jeep (we decided to wait until we got to Alaska to put the add ons on WallE). The millions of stars danced around the inky black sky. I never felt so tiny, yet apart of something so large. Ever since I was a little girl I loved to stargaze, but tonight I swore the stars began to sing to me.

**The stars swam above my head as I looked for a place to rest my head. I hadn't eaten in a while and knew I should hunt. Thoughts plagued my mind no matter how far I tried to run from them. My fur billowed in the cool wind as I laid down, trying to focus on nothing. **

**A growl interrupted my bliss. I turned my head and saw a huge grizzly bear eyeing me down. Apparently I had lain in her spot. **

**The fur on my neck stood on end as I prepared to fight. I needed this… this wrath… to fight for what is mine. No holds bar. I lifted myself onto my hind legs.**

**And her cub came up from behind her. Shit. I guess I still do have a soul. Easing my stance I eased away a bit. The grizzly must have thought I had other intentions because she lunged right then and there.**

**Thank God I'm nearly indestructible. **

**We sparred for a few minutes until I had her pinned to the ground. I should have gone in for the kill, but my humane side made me walk away. I began to run more, not even caring that I haven't slept. I thought I had completely surrendered to my wolf, but I guess there still was a bit of Jacob in me. And I still hadn't eaten.**

**Shit. **

We had to be close to Alaska. There was no way in hell it was this cold in late June and we were not near Alaska. I also knew that no matter how great your friend are, spending 4 straight days in a car alone with them make you question relationships. Everything was getting on my nerves as I longed for solitude. Alone in the beauty of nature.

I was shaken out of my reverie, but the emotion that replaced was unprecedented joy as we approached the Canada/ Alaska border. I nudged Nory awake to grab our passports.

Such glee. Such anticipation. I gave our passports and other paperwork to the man working the booth, and was soon off.

For the past few hours I had been ignoring the hunger deep in my stomach, but now my stomach was beginning to get quite vocal with emptiness. Nory looked to me and giggled, "There's a McDonald's coming up… WallE needs fuel anyway." She explained, pointing to the exit sign on the highway. I nodded, merging into the right lane to get off at the next exit.

I wasn't sure if it was a lifetime of living near Baltimore or the fact that Alaska is such a desolate place, but I had never been to a more immaculate McDonalds in my entire life. Nory was even wide eyed as she sat down with her Big Mac, the employees dumping their old oil into WallE's tank.

"Look at this, Bree." She said, holding up her sandwich as I dunked my chicken nugget into some ketchup, "This actually looks like the picture they advertise. And look! I actually don't think I run the risk of salmonella from eating this."

"Well, if there was any doubt that we weren't from around here before this." I giggled before getting up to refill my Hi-C. I was such a little kid at times. I walked to the soda fountain and tried to pop of my lid. Unfortunately, the lid popped off a little too excitedly and flew right into the elderly man's face that stood beside me. My eyes widened and I gasped, reaching for a napkin.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, sir… I think lids have a mind of their own, and they're very sadistic things, lids…" I rambled on, blushing furiously as I handed him the napkin.

The old man paused, looking at me with a curious expression, "Well aren't you a little pixie." My blush grew at his comment, but he continued with a smile that not all of his teeth were there for, "We don't have your type up here… yes little pixie, you've traveled far from home." I crossed my arms, closing myself off in discomfort as the old man button a button on his light brown trench coat. I realized then that he looked tattered: not in a homeless way, just worn, "But you have to beware, my pixie, there are creatures who don't want you to live in peace." My eye widened and Nory came over to see what the hold-up was. "The creatures who live from blood find you a special delicacy."

I gasped as his innuendo, and Nory raised a hand in pause, "Live from blood? Like vampires?" The old man gave an assuring look, "Shit no, man! Vampires are from Transylvania. Besides, we're going on a wildlife conservation. I doubt that it's a big hangout spot for the undead." She grabbed by hand, not caring that my empty cup now lay on the floor, droplets of orange scattered around it.

We quickly walked to the car and sped out of the parking lot, thankful WallE was now full of vegetable oil. I ran my fingers through my hair, for a second forgetful that I cut it to a little past chin length a few weeks ago. A couple of hairs came out with my fingers, and I pulled the dark red strands from my hand, flinging them into the wind. Nory pulled back her dark hair into a ponytail, her red highlights catching the sun's rays.

I sighed, my stomach beginning to release the knots the old man created, "What was up with that old guy? Is he on heavy drugs or something? I mean… I know I spilled some juice drops on him and hit him with some synthetic plastic, but to say that vampires want me dead?" I curled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them.

"He might have a point though… I mean where better to live as a vampire than a desolate place where the sun doesn't shine for 3 months. Like that Josh Hartnett movie." She pointed at me to make her point.

"I thought that's 30 Days of Night… 30 days is only a month." I rebutted with a smirk.

"They only called it that because 3 months give or take a few days doesn't have the same ring. And he was a foreboding old man. Classic slasher story getup." She said with finality.

I rolled my eyes at that. "Please, the foreboding old man plug in is usually in the middle f the woods or at an old hotel. When was he ever at a McDonald's in the middle of the day?"

Nory gave me a look, "My point remains valid."I shook my head and let her drive, knowing we were near our destination. It was uncharacteristically warm that day at around seventy or so degrees. I took off my sweater and unzipped WallE's covers. The sun felt amazing on my face, and I knew soon some freckles would appear on the bridge of my nose.

I didn't even need to day dream; I already knew that this was where I needed to be. The sun bathed me with her rays and the wind sang to me and massaged my hair. I absentmindedly played with my pendant: a silver triple moon symbol with a moonstone as the full moon. I never knew where I got it; I just always remembered having it.

My reverie was broken by an excited squee coming from Nory. Looked to her with an eyebrow raised and Fred the cat meowed in annoyance, obviously having been awoken from his nap. Nory gestured ahead and I followed with my gaze… landing on a Welcome to Gustavus. I grinned and began bouncing a bit in my seat, thrilled that our journey was over.

We pulled into the driveway of the Glacier National Park Wildlife Conservatory of Gustavus, and I hoped it had a shorter nickname. I jumped out of WallE and grabbed Fred's kitty carrier, knowing he'd want to walk around and maybe catch a chipmunk. I looked around at the beautiful scenery surrounding us to notice that it must've been at least late afternoon. I went to grab my sweater again, the breeze making me chilly. I felt comfort at the soft cotton enveloping my skin as a girl not too much older than I walked out to greet us. She wasn't too much taller than Nory; obviously quite a bit taller than my slight five foot frame. Well, I was fiver feet according to my driver's license but I was very lenient with the measuring tape.

She smiled a small smile and shook my hand, her chocolate eyes glimmering in the sunlight. She pushed a piece of her dark blonde hair behind her ear and greeted us, "You must be Bree. I'm Nicola Patterson, and it really is a pleasure to meet you. We need all of the help we can get, especially someone with your experience with animals."

I smiled sheepishly, "I take it Dr. Ellershaw called." I fiddled more with my pendant, getting embarrassed but nonetheless flattered that the vet I worked for spoke so highly of me.

"I'm glad she did!" Nicola responded, "Calming and handling an injured mare while he was in heat… I know grown men who shudder at the thought." I giggled a bit and bent down to pick Fred up from his spot rubbing against my leg. "I'm sure you and your company are tired. Your house is already made up… you're actually going to be working mainly with me and with Bobby, he's another college intern. Anyway, you're right down that path around a mile away. Lovely little cabin. 2 bedrooms and right by the bay. It's in the woods so there may be thing that go bump in the night…" She said with a hint of foreboding. My stomach tightened and I thought back to the old man. Nicola giggled a bit, "But I'm sure you can handle yourself.

I grinned and said my farewells to Nicola, walking back to WallE and Nory who was already zooming out. I snapped her back at attention to drive the mile to our cabin and unload.

To say the cabin was beautiful would have seriously been an understatement. It was made of wood and the paneling showed. There was a tiny porch with a swing on it that I knew much reading would take place there. It was beautiful, and humble, and cozy. It was the house that made me think of hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets, of dancing in the rain and one of Nory's famous dinners. I grinned as I unpacked, Fred already taking out his spot in my room. It didn't take me too long to put everything away; I was a light packer and I wouldn't be needing many luxuries here.

I stepped out onto the front porch and walked the few hundred feet to the bay. It was so chilly outside, but I didn't mind. The stars called me and my gaze turned up. I gasped, never seeing so many stars in my life. I laid back and let them dance and sing for me, loosing myself in my surroundings. I didn't realize just how tired I was until that moment, and as the stars began to sing me their beautiful lullaby, I knew I was home.

**For the first time in weeks, I had quiet. I went further North and West, knowing I had to be back in the states somewhere. I didn't care. For once, my mind wasn't plagued with ideas and guilt and remorse. The woods gave me a sense of calm, like there was a presence that knew my pain and soothed me. I gave up my wolf form a few miles back, and was completely content walking around in my cutoffs. No one was around. Just me, the trees, and the stars. I laid on the ground, hearing the distant sound of water, and looked up at the inky night sky. I never noticed how beautiful the stars were, and I suddenly felt small, like a child who's parent jut placated him. I didn't mind. I needed this rest, and as the stars began to sing me their beautiful lullaby, for some reason I knew I found home. **


	4. Chapter 4

a/n- So, As I am typing this, I am sitting beside a beach in cape cod, stealing internet from one of the shore house owners. New England is cold. And whoever lives in complex B2... I'm sorry for stealing from you. Well, maybe not. **Reviews make me happier than doped up Labrador Retriever!**

Starsong

Chapter 4

I awoke the next morning, knowing I had a full day ahead of me. The sun shone brightly, beckoning me to get up and greet my day. I followed her orders, dressing in jeans and my favorite purple sweater, loving the look of the deep plum cotton against my skin. My moon pendant still holding its position on my neck, I walked the mile to the conservation headquarters. I didn't want to wake Nory and knew she would figure out what was going on when she saw the house with me obviously absent. Fred the cat was fed, already making perch over his domain. I laughed lightly to myself as I approached the small building with clapboard siding. I was at peace so far away from most civilization.

I walked into the building, looking around for Nicola or anyone that could point me in the right direction. I found my salvation in the form of a shy looking man with light brown hair. His baby blue eyes hid themselves behind silver rimmed glasses, and his gaze rarely left the floor. He was attractive in the shy and sensitive way, which immediately made him not my type. I smiled at him and he waved in reply, closing the gap between us.

"Hi there… I'm Bobby Collins, but you can just call me Bobby." He smiled sheepishly, and I suddenly felt the urge to hug him and tell him that everything will be okay, "So, since you're new, we're going to have you rotate between departments until we find a fit. Today you're helping with birds with Nicola." He blushed unconsciously as he said Nicola's name, and I had to stop myself from giggling. He walked me towards the room, first fitting me with protective gloves and a hair wrap since my hair was too short to tie up in a ponytail.

We walked into the room where I saw Nicola standing, a bald eagle perched on her forearm. The girl looked completely at ease, and I had to give her props. Bobby gave her an awkward wave and she smiled back at him. I could feel the tension between them and it was making me uncomfortable. Shaking my head, I took a step forward.

"I hear you're testing me out with winged creatures." I said, slowly reaching out my hand towards the bald eagle.

Nicola nodded, "Yep. If you lose any fingers we aren't held responsible." I wasn't sure if she was serious or not, so I decided to play it safe and let out a small chuckle.

"Who needs all ten fingers anyway? Besides, it'd be a hell of a story to tell at dinner parties." She laughed in a 'That's the Spirit' kind of tone and we began to work.

Maryland wasn't exactly the hub of large bird activity, so I knew I'd be winging it, for lack of better term, until I found my way. I surprised myself and apparently Nicola when the birds took to me so well. We spent the first few hours cleaning, grooming, feeding, and beginning some rehabilitation. Nicola was showing me the basics of wing reconstruction exercises when Bobby walked in, at first looking very determined. He marched right up to us.

"Nicola." He said, looking my new friend right in the eye. I guess that look made him uneasy because he immediately began to falter, "I… I want to… you… to let you know… umm… the penguins need looking after." He finished pitifully, looking at the ground again before turning and briskly walking out of the room.

I looked at Pearl, the eagle I was holding, and she returned my gaze. We stared at each other and it was almost a though we shared the same thought of, "Damn, that boy needs help.' I broke my gaze at hearing Nicola sigh. She returned back to lightly combing her fingers through Lily's feathers.

I decided to broach the topic carefully, "Is that… a frequent occurrence?" She nodded, sighing wistfully.

"Every time, I think he's going to ask me out, but I guess he just doesn't feel the same." My jaw went slack at the audacity of her statement.

"You… you mean to tell me you don't think he's interested?" Nicola looked at me as though the answer were obvious.

"Well, we've worked together for months and nothing, so it's pretty clear he just thinks of me as a friend... or just as a coworker. I mean, if he did think… more… why hasn't he said anything?"

"Because the boy is more awkward than an eight year old boy at Michael Jackson's house!" I exclaimed, and I swear I heard Pearl laugh. "Bobby looks like the sweetest boy in the world, but I only met him today and I could tell you he's afraid of his own shadow. I can also tell that every time he thinks about you he blushes and imagines you two together with five kids living in Connecticut." I knew at that time I was exaggerating, but my point remained valid. I took a breath before continuing, "I think in this case you might have to be a bit more forward. We live in modern times; it's not against the law for a girl to ask a boy out."

Nicola thought about what I said for a few moments, a giddy smile on her face before shaking her head, focusing again, "It's probably nothing like that. Come on, let's get these girls some exercise before I show you the penguins and hawks." I nodded, letting the topic slide for now.

Before I knew it, it was six o'clock and time to go back to the cabin. I was feeling exhausted yet at the same time energized. For once I was actually doing something with my time. I said goodbye to everyone and began my walk down to the cabin.

The night was clear, so I could look up and see my beautiful stars. The moon was full, her powerful beams making the moonstone in my pendant glow. It was comforting, yet oddly empowering. I glowed in a way no one else did at that time. Just me, the moon, the stars, and my beautiful pendant.

_When I looked back up from my glowing pendant a different scene was in front of me. The moonbeams reflected off of the trees and grass in a way that I was almost blinded by the sparkling. A warmth surrounded me, but I knew it wasn't the weather. This warmth was thicker, crackling with energy. It was as though someone bottled electricity along with every happy memory one could possess and surrounded my body with it. I wanted to mold the warmth, make it my own… and I knew I could. My pendant glowed again as I felt an energy come from within._

I heard a snap behind me and gasped, turning around to see if I was being followed. I almost laughed in relief when I saw that it was only a rabbit. My daydreams were becoming more and more frequent. I knew I had to find a way to hold them back or else people might begin to think I was having absent seizures or something.

I let my worry fall to the back of my mind when I approached the cabin, a beautiful smell floating up my nose. Mexican. Obviously, Nory had gone shopping and was working her magic on tonight's meal. To this day I had no idea why Nory hadn't gone to culinary school and become a world famous chef with her cooking skills. She could walk into a kitchen with only the most minimal of ingredients and MacGyver out a five star meal. At least she was in school for Nutrition, saying she wanted to use her knowledge of food for good and not evil. I made sure she baked something unhealthy at least once a month, though.

Walking through the front door only made the smell more potent, and I hoped my mouth didn't begin to water. "Honey, I'm home!" I called out, and I saw a waving spatula from the doorway into the kitchen. That was Nory's symbol of 'I see you and hi, but I'm busy so leave me alone until I feed you.' I was okay with this symbol and decided to walk outside to the water again.

I grabbed my blanket, the night becoming very cool, and walked to the driftwood log by the water. I looked to the sky again, almost willing another daydream. Maybe with more daydreams I would figure out what they all meant. The stars hummed a small tune and I smiled, swaying along. My swaying immediately halted when I heard movement behind me. I slowly turned around, ready to face whatever it was approaching me. "Fred?" I called out, "Nory… are you feeding me now?" I heard a low chuckle, and I knew neither my cat nor my very female best friend could laugh that low.

A form walked out from the trees, and I froze. He was tall… massive really. It looked like he could crush my skull with his biceps. He approached me more and I saw more details to him. He was definitely Native American and his hair hung a little longer than mine, jet black and a bit matted. He has a wolfish grin on his… pretty attractive face and stood before me wearing only cutoff jeans. "Hey." He said to me, the grin never leaving his face. His voice was low and soothing, yet I was still on edge.

I tried to respond, "I… err…"

You could put me in front of a raging bull and I could calm him down, throw me in a room with a crazy eagle and I could make her trust me, yet if you put me in front of an attractive and shirtless stranger, I suddenly become Helen Keller. I coughed, finding my voice.

"You're going to die of hypothermia." I said, staring at the minimal clothing he was wearing. I was completely wrapped in my blanket and was already pondering going back to the cabin for a hoodie as well. He tilted his head back and howled in laughter.

"That's the first greeting of that kind I ever got." He shook his head, stray pieces of his hair falling in his face, "And I have an abnormally high body temperature. I think I'll be okay."

I nodded, "Lucky bastard." The moment was awkward, so a moved over on the log, making space for him to sit, "You look like you haven't seen the inside of a house in months." I commented on his haggard appearance, but his charm shone through.

He sat down next to me, "That… is actually pretty accurate." He responded. The guy gave me an odd look and I suddenly felt very exposed. I looked up to the sky to distract me and I felt his eyes leave me and follow my gaze to the sky. "Stargazer?" He asked, curious.

I shrugged, unsure of what to call myself, "Honestly, at times I think that they watch me more than I watch them. It's an odd relationship." I didn't even know the person sitting next to me, so getting into my beliefs about the world wasn't high on my list of conversation topics.

Thankfully, he let the subject drop. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and for some reason the silence was comfortable. It was broken when his gaze drifted back to her, "You don't look like you're from around here."

"I'm from around here now. And I could say the same for you."

"I'm from around here now as well… where are you from originally?"

"Originally originally? Dundalk Ireland… most of my life was spent just outside of Baltimore." He nodded, a little surprised.

"A long way to travel for such a little girl."

"I'm not little, I'm tiny." I rebutted, by tiny size always a touchy subject, "And maybe it's just in comparison to you, Goliath."

"Touché. What called for the move?"

"We playing twenty questions?"

"Yep." I shook my head, his charm undeniable albeit a little annoying.

"Change of scenery. Here just seemed to call to me. I have a job working with the conservation society."

"Job… right… need to get me one of those…"

"Are you good with exotic animals?" For some reason my question warranted a smirk from him.

"Wolves, actually. I'm very experienced with wolves." I looked at him skeptically.

"Really?" He nodded.

"My tribe back home in Washington had a lot of encounters with wolves."

"I… could talk to my work. I'm sure they could use you. I mean, we're kind of understaffed."

"Define understaffed."

"Six people for over a thousand acres of land."

"You're understaffed." I nodded, letting myself laugh a bit.

"How about a home? You have one of them yet?" I asked, he shook his head.

"Nope… I'm just a poor wandering puppy dog." He gave me a puppy-eyed look, warranting a laugh and an eye-roll.

"I hope this isn't a way to get into my pants."

"If I wanted in your pants, I'd be there already." I gave him an appraising look.

"You're that good?"

"Oh yeah." He grinned with bravado. I laughed in response.

"You're full of shit."

"Okay… yeah." I shook my head, knowing I was being far too hospitable.

"Look, I know this may sound weird, and maybe Irish hospitality I just too far ingrained in my genes, but I have a couch you could crash on until you get on your feet. I have to see if it's okay with my roommate and my cat, but I don't see why not… as long as you keep your pants to yourself." I pointed at him to make my point.

He responded with an innocent face and a palms forward gesture of surrender. "I'll be on my bet behavior, promise. Thanks so much…?" The gratitude hung in the air when we realized we didn't even know each other's names.

"Bree. Bree McCallahan." I said, giving him an expectant look, "I hope you're returning the courtesy. I'm giving you shelter and the chance to eat Nory's cuisine. And tonight is Mexican night."

His eyes brightened, "Mexican? I think I could eat my weight in nachos." Looking at the size of him, no doubt all muscle, I didn't really doubt his statement. I looked up at him again, the moon making my pendant sparkle and it's glimmer making my eyes sparkle in anticipation. I found a friend…no, not a friend. This was a connection I never had before. Not love… something else. Great, now I was confusing myself. Focus, Bree, think of nachos and this guy's name. His name!

"So, am I just calling you Mr. Cut-off jeans?" I asked impatiently. He laughed in response.

"As flattering as that name would be, no." He held out one of his huge, paw-like hands and shook mine, miniscule in comparison, "And I'm Jacob. Jacob Black."


	5. Chapter 5

a/n- never try to concentrate on anything when The Food Network's Unwrapped is on the television. This chapter may have some ADD qualities because of it. I apologize. **Reviews are my brand of heroin.**

Starsong

Chapter 5

After recent events, I was sure I needed to schedule a CAT scan. Daydreams or hallucinations every four hours, randomly inviting partially clad men to live on my couch, making friends with the animal kingdom, and forgetting to watch So You Think You Can Dance. Yeah, something was seriously wrong with my psyche.

Jacob and I walked the short trek to the cabin, and I knew our timing was awkward. Nory was standing right by the doorway, a huge platter of loaded nachos in her hands, "Hola senorita, welcome to… yo wait." Nory's east coast persona immediately overcame the façade of a Mexican chef. "Did you kidnap the jolly green giant?"

"Goliath… but good guess." I responded, walking up the porch steps, Jacob trailing behind me. "This is Jacob, and he's a homeless puppy dog that needs sustenance." I explained, hoping Nory would understand. She usually got my bleeding heart ways, but even now I knew I was pushing my limits.

She calmly set the platter on the table and looked me in the eye, "Bree, may I have a word with you in the kitchen?" Nory asked, trying to keep her cool. I could hear Jacob chuckle softly behind me, and I quickly cast him a scathing look, hoping to quiet him.

"Make yourself at home, Jacob." Nory continued grabbing my upper arm and dragging me into the kitchen. I sat on the counter and prepared myself for the blow she was ready to throw. "Are you absolutely batshit crazy now, Bree?" She asked, incredulously, "He's a complete stranger you met in the woods. You aren't dumb, Breebear, you've seen Eli Roth's works. He could be a murderer! He could rape us in the middle of the night!" She said in a rushed whisper, looking out into the living room where he stood. Nory cast a prolonged glace at his behind, "Although, I must admit there would be worse things than being raped by him."

"…but you digress?" I interjected, trying to get her focus away from Jacob's rear end.

"I digress!" She shook her head, snapping out of it. "What do you know about him?"

"He's from Washington, his last name is Black, he has experience in handling wolves because of his tribe, and he's really in a spot." I said earnestly, "You know, I just said more than what you knew about your last boyfriend." I hoped my point hit a soft spot with Nory. She gave me a look.

"I met him in New Jersey. I knew what I was getting myself into." I had to let out a small laugh.

"I know what I'm getting myself into. It's not like we're going to do the oompa loompa in the middle of the night while you're trying to sleep. He needs a couch to crash on, and we have a couch. Besides, we need help at the conservatory. He has experience." I sighed, looking out into the living room where he was now sitting on the arm of the couch, apparently having a staring contest with Fred the cat. I had to suppress a grin, both because of the scene in front of me and the fact that I knew I had Nory. She groaned.

"Fine, but he's your responsibility. I'll feed him, but you make sure he stays in line and is productive."

"Aww, it's like our first child together, mama." I grinned cheekily at her and she lightly slapped my shoulder.

"Knock it off. I'm starving." I nodded in agreement and followed her out into the living room. Jacob grinned a grin rivaling the Cheshire Cat's when he saw my positive appearance. He knew he was here to stay.

He turned to Fred, "See, kitty? Told you they like me." I raised an eyebrow, not wanting to know what he was talking about. I walked over to Fred the cat and lifted him, giving him a hug as her purred and curled into a ball in my arms.

"His name's Fred, not kitty." I said to Jacob, "Who in their right mind actually names a cat kitty anyway?" He shrugged in response and I turned my focus to the platter of nachos coming towards us… oh, and Nory was holding them.

"Don't worry; I also have some tacos in the kitchen if we're still hungry after these." I knew there was no way in hell I could finish my fill of those nachos and eat tacos. Jacob apparently was thinking the exact opposite.

"Marry me." He said, and I wasn't sure if the request was directed towards Nory or the nachos.

"Not my type. Although I understand… the food gods love me." She shrugged, sitting down across from her food. Jacob and I followed suit and soon began to dig in.

We sat in silence for around five minutes; the only sounds were of us inhaling the delicious Mexican food in front of us. My downfall came with the fact that I was naturally a slower eater and couldn't keep up with Nory and Jacob. Jacob even soared past Nory, the biggest Mexican food lover I know, in chips eaten per minute.

Nory and I leaned back, defeated, but Jacob still had a grin on his face. "Taco time?" He asked as though he were a hyperactive six year old. Nory and I groaned in response.

"Are you part cow? Is that it? You have a second stomach…." Nory asked incredulously. I nodded in agreement.

"That's probably why I met him; he was in the woods grazing."

"Excuse me." He responded, "I would like to let you know I am quite the carnivore." Jacob grinned, flashing his teeth. I rolled my eyes, slowly getting up.

"Come on, I'll show you where you're sleeping. And if you're a good boy, we'll feed you more." He quickly got up after me, picking up a trot to catch up. I was already at the couch, tucking some sheets into the cushions.

"Aww, you're taking care of me." He said sitting on the arm of the couch.

"My inner philanthropist." He chuckled, tossing a pillow onto the couch.

"Fred was a stray, wasn't he?" I raised an eyebrow in response.

"Yeah, he was… how did you…?"

"You seem like the type to take in strays."

"Good thing Nory's around to keep me in check. Otherwise, I'd totally become a hoarder."

"Can't save them all." He said gently. My look said that I knew, but I wouldn't let it slide.

"I can try." Jacob shook his head, knowing the battle was pointless. My bask in glory was cut short as soon all air was deprived of me and my ribs felt as though they were about to break. Oh, or Jacob was hugging me.

"Thanks, Bree." He said and I tried to choke out a 'you're welcome' but none came. Jacob set me down on the floor before hopping onto the couch. I had to giggle at the site of him sprawled before me, the couch too small for his stature and his feet dangling off the edge.

"Get some sleep. I have to wake you up early to take you to the conservatory. Let's hope you pass the test of morale and get a job." I began to glide out of the room.

"You're the best." He said, his eyes closed and looking peaceful.

"I know."

The next morning I woke up a very ornery Jacob to take him to the conservatory. We treaded along, me always having to trot back a few steps to drag him along. It took longer than my usual twenty minutes to get to the office, so I bounded up the stairs with Jacob behind me.

"Hello Sleeping Beauty," Nicola grinned from behind the counter. She was collecting some file on a few of the hawks we had, "You appear to have… captured a bear?" I raised my eyebrow in response before realizing that Jacob must've walked in.

"Close. Stray puppy." I grinned, "His name's Jacob and he has experience with wolves. I figured he would have to earn his keep somehow…"

"And you don't condone prostitution…"

"Exactly." Jacob looked back and forth between the two of us, a little concerned. Bobby shuffled behind him.

"Get used to it." He muttered, continuing on his way to the lab. Time to get back on track.

"Anyway, where is Judy? You think she'll approve? I mean… there are only six of us."

"And no one is specializing with the wolves. We originally wanted you to take to them, Bree, but today you get to test out big cats." Nicola slid over a file folder with the different cats' information. Lynxes, a few mountain lions, should be fun.

"I love kitties." I joked, walking towards the back doors. I turned back to look at Jacob, "Behave. No mutiny from our puppy friends." He gave me a look as if saying 'who me?' before I shook my head and went back to the big cats.

Five minutes in and I knew I belonged here. Nicola clued me on the fact that I would most likely be a drifter given their lack of help, but my home base was here. The cats were majestic and so trusting of me. The lounged around without a care in the world, internally laughing at me when I tried to motivate them to get up and walk around. _Just like Fred,_ I thought to myself.

A few hours past and my stomach began growling. I scratched behind Vera, a Canadian Lynx's, ear, and told them I would be back after my lunch hour. They seemed pretty passive. Walking down the hall, I decided to peek into the wolves' pen, seeing how Jacob was holding up.

The site I walked in on nearly broke my heart. Jacob sat in the middle of the room, three wolves lying around him, the alpha's head on his lap. From the distance I could feel the sense of calm Jacob was trying to convey to them. I crept in slowly, trying not to disturb them. Jacob looked up, giving me a half smile in greeting.

"Are they getting sick? I know they're in here for injuries but I though they would be recovering by now…" I asked, unsure of how close I should get. Jacob shook his head, petting the one's head.

"They're sad. They want to run, to see the sky. I mean, how would you like to be cooped up in here?" I knew he had a point. Jacob gingerly lifted the wolves head and got up, brushing the fur from his jeans, "They'd feel a lot better if they had a sky to look at. Stars are very comforting to wolves." I absentmindedly clasped my moon pendant, my heart bleeding for the creatures lying in front of me. An idea sprang into my head. "So… I need food. Want to come with?" He asked, towering over me.

I shook my head, my mind obviously elsewhere, "No… not hungry. Actually, I have something to do." Jacob shrugged and waved goodbye. I didn't have time to wave back for I was already sprinting out the door.

An hour later, Jacob walked back into his room and nearly dropped his can of Pepsi. I stood on top of a ladder, covered in sticky putty. A star map lay at my feet, and about half of the ceiling was covered in glow in the dark stars. I was on my tiptoes, trying my best to reach the ceiling and damning my diminutive stature.

"Um?" Jacob said, not sure of how to react.

"I'm tiny…" I pouted, upset that he came back before I was done. I also didn't realize, in hindsight, just how complex the night sky was.

"If I wasn't afraid I'd stick to you forever right now, I'd hug you." He grinned, approaching the bottom of the ladder. Even with the ladder, I was only a head taller than him. I made a mental not to get something taller than a three step ladder next time. "I can't believe you did this for them. It's… is that ursa major?" He asked, pointing to the constellation I was working on. I nodded, a blush mixing in with the freckles on my cheeks. Jacob laughed, picking a piece of putty out of my hair, "You really are made of cupcakes and sunshine, aren't you?"

"No, there are some moonbeams, spider webs, and cheap horror movie props thrown in there as well." I tried not to smirk.

"Well, they're grateful nonetheless. They really like you."

"The feeling is mutual. And besides, I think they'd know if their ceiling wasn't astronomically accurate."

"God, they might never forgive you." He gasped in mock horror. We stood for a second grinning at each other.

"Well, now that even the wolves are feeling awkward, I should get back to my cats." I stepped down, folding up the step ladder.

"Our mortal enemies. Traitor."

"Known Fred longer." I grinned, waving and walking back to the cats.

Did I really just… flirt… with Jacob? Well, you do have a thing for strays. Shut up, Bree. Vera lifted her head as I walked into the room, seemingly knowing how I was feeling. She got up and stretched, slowly walking towards me. I smiled as I scratched her ears, wondering how such a gentle and loving girl could also be vicious. I let the thought pass and got back to work.

The day ended, and Jacob and I left the conservatory for the cabin. His usual grin was on his face as we walked the path back as he listened about my newfound friendship with Vera the Lynx.

"I love the fact that you get excited about a friendship with a mountain lion."

"Lynx. And she gets me… like she can read my mind or something."

"Psychic kitties? Remind me to stay out of that room." I lightly punched his arm although I knew he didn't even feel it. He looked down at me, giving me an odd look.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" I brushed my hand up to wipe whatever it was off, but Jacob shook his head.

"Your necklace… it's glowing…" I breathed a sigh of relief and grinned.

"Yeah, it's moonstone in the middle. It glows when it catches the moon's rays." I explained.

"Does it glow purple?" My eyebrow shot up and I looked down. Sure enough my pendant was now a bright purple, as though energy was radiating from within it, ready to burst.

"Well, that's new."

"And I think I know why…" He said quietly, anxiety apparent in his voice. I looked up to see what his answer was and was greeted by a strong pale man stalking towards us. I gasped, the man's blood red eyes seeming to pierce my soul. He was satanically beautiful, like he used his looks to hypnotize his victims. It was working. My mind flashed back to the old man on the way here: the creatures who live from blood.

Oh shit.

He smirked an evil grin, obviously smelling my fear. I felt a tingle spread all over my body, as though electricity were generating from my heart. I didn't have time to react, though, because the blood man lunged at me, faster than I ever thought any creature could move. I closed my eyes and screamed, my skin crackling with energy, but I never felt his fatal blow.

Instead a huge wolf leaped out from behind me, colliding with the blood man mid air. They fought viciously as my eyes scanned around for Jacob, worried and a little disappointed that he wasn't there anymore. A growl took me back to the fight at hand. The wolf had the blood man around the neck in his jaws, and with a sickening snap, his head was severed.

The scene was too much for me as the world because fuzzy. I felt my legs give out from under me, but couldn't feel the ground as I fell.

_The sounds around me were no longer the sounds of the woods. I was lying in the dewy grassy, obviously content, but the voices around me weren't. 'She needs to be safe' they said. They spoke of danger and a dying breed. They spoke of escaping and leading a mortal's life. Mortal? The leaves whistled around me, calming me with their song. I felt movement on my back and was confused until I felt the comfort of a spider web thin blanket wrapping over me, my pendant glowing a faint silver._

The smell of ashes brought me back to reality. At first I was dazed, getting more and more aggravated with the daydreams that now didn't even make sense. The flames not even fifty feet away from me snapped my mind from that thought. What had happened? The wolf was running in quick circles, obviously looking for something. When nothing was found he walked back to the fire, heaving a sigh.

Then, the wolf stood on his hind legs and began to transform right before my eyes. For a second, I thought I would black out again until I saw the familiar long black hair and massive form. He stretched, trying to calm himself down, and turned to me, walking up slowly. The firelight against his bare chest and face truly did make him look like a creature from another world. His eyes dark and soulful, he kneeled down next to me slowly brushing his fingers through my hair. I guess my fear was apparent, but he quickly withdrew his hand, "You shocked me." Jacob said, trying to suppress a surprised grin.

"No… I think the proper thing is for me to say that you shocked me." I responded, my voice shaky. I sat up straight, willing the dots in front of my eyes to go away. "Did that… and you… you… rawr." I held my hands up like claws, "and he…" I hissed, baring my teeth. "Then… dear sweet God." I held my face in my hand and Jacob chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. I think I shocked him at first but the feeling went away.

"That was the best reenactment of a vampire and werewolf fight I have ever seen." He said, ruffling my hair. My head shot up and I stared at him wide eyed.

"Vampire? Werewolf? You're a werewolf… oh…" I tried to keep my calm as best as I could. Jacob got up and lifted me, carrying me as though I were a bride. He silently walked us back to the cabin.

"I have a feeling there's some explaining to be done."


End file.
